Stomach of the Toad
by VOIDdragon0
Summary: What if Minato had someone on his level? Someone on his original Genin Team? Lukra Mizakaro is a prodigy from the Yuki clan, The same clan Haku belongs to. When a Civil war in Kirigakure destroys her clan Lukra flees to Konoha, and ends up on Minatos Team. Watch Minato and Lukras rocky start in their Genin years. Will they be able to overcome all their differences and doubts?


The Stomach of the Toad

'

Description: Lukra Mizakaro is a Hyouten prodigy from the Yuki clan, when her clan is destroyed by a Civil war in the Mist, she is the sole survivor and barely escapes to Konoha, where by chance she ends up on Minato's Genin team.

Minato and Lukra would come to develop one of the greatest and most effective teamwork's in the shinobi world, rivalling that of the Sannin.

But it didn't start that way...

'

'

"That was pointless"

Was Lukra's candid summary of the day.

'

Team Jiraiya had spent a tedious afternoon of gardening an old couples lawn, delivering mail, and demolishing an old derelict building marked for demolition.

A slim built boy of about average height, in his mid teens with hair the bright yellow of a summer sun, and blue eyes reminiscent of tropical waters walked along the main path taking the group deeper into the bustling heart of Konoha.

A sharp intelligence glinted in those eyes, as well as the cheerful sparkle of a kind natured and amiable spirit.

Anyone with half an eye would note he was extraordinarily handsome, with very fine boned features. Minatos looks were actually borderline beautiful in fact, he had been compared to having his moms face more often than not.

One could see why he was so popular around the village.

'

He was Minato Namikaze, one day destined to become the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure.

"I'm sure Jiraiya sensei had a reason" Minato said a little defensively.

"A good one I hope" she said, a sarcastic lilt to her face.

"D ranks do help consildate skills, help teamwork and you do get money you know" Minato added for the sake of it.

"If you think drudgery is 'consolidation' we got plenty of that" Lukra grunted but let the matter drop.

'

Minato regarded his recent new teammate warily,

She had been on Team Jiraiya for all of a week so far, And Minato was still getting used to her rough and rather hard edged personality.

'

Lukra Mizakaro was a tall lithe girl of around fifteen years of age. She had

long striking jet black hair falling down her back like a waterfall.

She had unusually pale white skin, indicating someone born in a colder foreign country, and possessed a rare shade of deep midnight blue eyes. Looking into them you could sense a very intelligent and perceptive nature.

Her appearance was very distinctive and striking, slightly ethereal in fact, beautiful in a kind of cold and grave way.

And her face sported a displeased and stern demeanour at this moment.

'

Lukra had not enjoyed a trace the days activities, partaking in the work with about the same enthusiasm as the oar slave of some pirate galley ship.

Minato himself had actually had fun, anytime away from home and his alcoholic dad was fun, but even he had to admit the missions were rather small time.

Sabarou from the Akimichi clan said absolutely nothing and Ai just scowled.

'

Sabarou was a boy with sandy brown hair, and sporting the wide and heavy build of someone from the Akimichi clan.

His arms were huge like giant hams, and he barely fit into his trousers.

His face was a little chubby but sported a very genial and good natured spirit.

He was a veritable giant compared to the small almost dainty girl beside him, who next to him resembled something closer to a porcelain doll.

'

She had pale skin like Lukra but was much shorter. She had night black hair cropped short to her shoulders, and sported a wiry thin build.

You might have called her pretty, if it weren't for the tell-tale signs of a bratty and almost haughty demeanour.

Her name was Ai Abe.

'

Ai derived absolutely nothing positive from Lukra's presence on the team.

She stood in sullen silence for the entire day, only speaking when forced.

It was really rude actually, but Ai's sullen attitude was matched only by Lukra's icy indifference to it.

The atmosphere was so awkward Minato had often found himself desperately wishing for the end of the day this week.

It was a relief when they reached the crowded thoroughfare.

'

"Well see you tomorrow at the bridge then everyone, Jiraiya said he wanted us there at nine" Minato reminded everyone conscientiously.

"I can hardly wait" Lukra said monotonously walking past him without pause or a single look back.

"Well bye..." Minato said meekly to the abrupt farewell, watching her long dark black hair sway from side to side across Lukras back as she departed off into the village.

'

"She is so fucking full of herself" Ai said venomously at the retreating figure as soon as she was outside ears range.

"This is beneath me, I'm too good for this, I'm too smart for this, I can't stand her" Ai said in a heated tone.

"She's just new Ai, give her some slack, you weren't particularly nice yourself," Minato pointed out bluntly.

'

"I don't have to be nice to her! Kami I wish she wasn't here," Ai complained.

"You shouldn't say that" he said reflexively.

"I will say what I damned like Minato!" she retorted angrily, her dark jet eyes glaring at him.

'

'

Minato briefly paused, considering how to voice this before trying to put across the rational view.

"I think youre making this harder than it has to be Ai, Lukra is on the team now, like it or not" Minato said reasonably.

"Not for long if i can help it, I'm going to complain to my parents, and I'm going to speak with Jiraiya too" she said determinedly.

"And you decided this after like four days of knowing her? And never _actually_ talking to her" Minato said mildly exasperated, a sceptical quirk on his eyebrow.

"You don't need to spend lots quality time together to know They're not good for you, and believe me, I know a rotten egg when I see one" she said cattily.

'

Then she bent down a little closer and added in a lower conspiratorial voice, "You should come with me Minato, if we both say we can't work with her they'll have to put her somewhere else,"

"Ai you're being unfair, I'm not joining in with any of that" Minato said firmly.

Her face tightened with anger

"Oh, I see, you _like_ her being on team Jiraiya, you like the look of her, you probably want to cosy up to he, cop a feel if you can!" she insinuated lewdly.

'

"Don't be ridiculous Ai," He snapped back at her annoyed.

She turned her attention to the last remaining member of Team Jiraiya,

"Sabarou, will you come with me?" she said appealingly, turning on the charm.

After a few painful seconds indecision,

The hamster faced boy just shook his head, not meeting her eyes, taking the neutral approach.

'

"The pair of you are useless" Ai said rolling her eyes before stalking off unto the village.

Minato a little peeved at the exchange, finally sighed and decided he couldn't be asked, Ai really had a way of getting under his skin.

Sometimes She could also be so _goddamn petty_.

He waved goodbye as his other teammate departed.

"See you Sabarou"

"Bye"

'

'

'

'

And Minato was left alone with his thoughts.

He knew Ai was being unfair in general, but he wished Lukra wouldn't openly criticise Jiraiya on just about everything he did.

And the _utter_ disdain she had for the D ranks, honestly made it hard to work with Lukra, even for Minato's pleasant and easy going nature.

The missions honestly could have been a little fun.

Ai raised the thought in a selfish and petty manner, But Minato had to ask himself, _did he really want Lukra on the Team?_

 _'_

Up untill a month ago, Minato had been the greatest young prodigy in the village. No one even coming close to rivalling him in either natural ability or any kind of ninja skill.

'

'

'

Those days were _over_.

'

'

'

One random Wednesday evening over a month ago, he had been dragged into the intelligence HQ, the Hokage and his advisors had present,

Along with a tough looking, pale skinned dark haired girl around his age who he had never seen before in his life.

He had been asked to do a whole slew of written and physical proficiency tests, pretty much repeating his entire Genin graduation exam.

'

And the scary thing, was that Lukra had been taking the same test, and if it what he was hearing from the huddled whispers was to be believed had scored _ridiculously_ high.

She was right up there with the Third and Minato, with Minato having the highest overall score.

'

The implications of that alone were startling.

Anyone with a base aptitude of that level had some _serious_ advantages over someone who didn't.

Minato would be the first to attest to this.

Minato peering surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye at the girl wondered who the heck she was!

And more importantly how did she relate to him? Was she a potential classmate? A potential friend? A competitor?

'

The Hokage explained very briefly to him that Lukra was a nuke nin from Kirigakure, she had escaped a recent civil war and had petitioned for asylum in Konoha.

The village was at war, and was always looking for new talent, so that made sense.

So naturally they wanted to get a basic gauge on what she could do.

Which was where Minato came in, acting as human measuring stick.

'

But of course, It didn't end there, Minato thought with a grimace.

Some clever crab faced advisor had suggested that Minato spar with Lukra.

A few proficiency tests were one thing, but what better way to gauge what she could do, than to spar with someone roughly the same age and level.

How did Konoha's young prodigy match up to his equivalent in the Mist?

'

Everyone had leaped to agree with that exciting proposal, not bothering to ask if either Lukra or Minato had been ok with it.

Minato more than a little uncomfortable at all the eyes peering at him intently had accepted.

It wasn't as if he could have refused with the Hokage himself gazing at him expectantly.

'

And so it began...

The first matches Taijutsu only.

Minato was naturally faster but it didn't make a scrap of difference.

Lukra was almost as quick on her feet, agile, tough, wiry, and moving with the smooth poised grace of a polished fighter,

She clearly had experience and lots of it.

And she hit like a truck.

'

Minato was a slim skinny boy and not overly muscular, he had never prided himself on physical strength or felt particularly bothered by its absence.

Relying on his speed and intellect.

But it had still been galling to find out that this girl Lukra, was _physically_ stronger than him.

Anytime their bodies pressed together Lukra swatted the limb aside as if it were an offending fly.

His blocks feeling about as solid as tissue paper.

'

Minato had never been so outmatched and outclassed in his life.

Lukra had ruthlessly taken him apart in their three Taijutsu matches, Minato almost helpless before her professional skill. Like a novice being taken apart by an expert.

Arm barring him efficiently to the ground on the last match.

Feeling as if his arm might come out of its joint socket.

 _'_

It had been the most gruelling, humiliating and degrading experience of Minato's life.

The only good thing was that Lukra, either out of mercy or diffidence hadn't seen fit to inflict as much damage as she could have.

Minato nursed a very bruised and shell shocked body, and an even more bruised pride.

He hadn't like the huddled whispers of the Hokages advisors discussing his performance one bit, he doubted they had anything positive to say.

'

It hadn't any better after that, Lukras Taijutsu was a well oiled machine, but her other skills were no less equally formidable.

'

'

Minato realised with an ominous feeling of trepidation that he had finally encountered an opponent who _actually_ threatened him.

They might have had a similar scores on the aptitude and proficiency tests, but Minato suddenly realised his highest overall score meant absolutely nothing here.

'

Lukras talent had been honed and crafted into a fluid deadly weapon.

Minato by contrast felt like a rookie, he might as well have been coasting alongside Shikaku through his academy years.

They were worlds apart.

'

They had three Ninjutsu matches spread out across a month.

Thoughtfully suggested by the huddled advisors to see how well they adapted to their opponent when they had time to prepare.

'

The first ninjutsu matches went even worse, Lukra fought with the shrewd strategy and competence of a skilled practitioner.

Making use of a sleek combination or water and wind jutsu, as well as a disorientating and confusing depth perception Genjutsu.

Minato running like a madman to keep ahead of the onslaught.

'

Then on the second duel after deciding she had seen enough of what Minato could offer, unveiled her best weapon for last.

The air around chilling Minatos blood, she unleashed a fearsome Kekkai Genkai, one that could manipulate wind and ice, one that she clearly wielded with the loving fluidity and skill of a craftsmen.

Minato, both demoralised and surprised by this latest ace up the sleeve on top of everything else was beaten by a strange Ice mirror jutsu that allowed her to move in the blink of an eye.

'

'

'

The last match had been the most uncomfortable period of Minatos life to date.

He had never worked so hard _ever_.

Minato desperate not to lose again, had worked himself to the bone physically, and even more so mentally, brainstorming all kinds of unconventional ideas and tactics.

Meticulously analysing all his matches, trying to pinpoint her weakness.

 _He would not lose again!_

And in the final Match Minato had managed to catch her with a circumspect trick, catching her off guard winning decisively.

He had won the last match,

Accomplished something he hadn't known he could do before.

And gained a very humbling and sobering perspective of his own limitations.

'

'

Minato breathing a sigh of relief at his victory had thought that had been the end of it, but fate wasn't remotely finished with him.

A few short weeks later, Lukra had showed up with Tsunade, the mentor she had been assigned in Konoha.

Tsuande was being asked to depart on a long term mission, and needed someone to step in for her.

Jiraiya anxious to suck up to her had agreed in an instant.

'

'

Jiraiya had had Lukra and Minato work together on the standard Bell Test to see how well they worked together.

And Minato found to his utter surprise, they _did_ work well together.

'

Whether it was because they were both skilled above average.

Whether it was because they both respected each other as opponents, or whether they had spent so long fighting each other they knew each others moves by heart.

Lukra and Minato seemed to sense almost telepathically where the other needed to be, and the best way to compliment them.

Considering this was a first try, Minato was amazed at how fluidly everything came together, as if they'd known each other all their lives.

'

He couldn't have done the same with Ai or Sabarou if he had sat down all day and planned it.

'

They got the Bell.

'

And Minato realised an instant later, with foreboding that he had caught a lot more attached with it.

'

He had gotten himself saddled with Lukra as well!

And he had a few mixed feelings about his new found rival moving in long term.

'

He was finally starting to understand how intimidating he must appear to his classmates, and how hard they had it in comparison to him.

He didn't think anyone in his position would enjoy the feeling of having your life levelled,

But Minato was candid enough to admit that he really _really_ didn't like it.

'

'

He wondered about Lukra often.

She was a nuke nin, from Kirigakure no less, but Jiraiya and the Hokage seemed to think her story was sound.

Judging by her placement on his team.

 _So they had like... checked, right?_ Minato thought quizzically. A furtive expression on his face.

They could not, have _not_ checked right?

He couldn't imagine she had made it past security without a thorough background check, and interrogation by Anbu.

'

Minato had yet to receive any information whatsoever on this front,

Despite being the guinea pig used to sound out Lukras ability.

'

'

'

He didn't know anything about what her life had been before in the Mist

He had no clue of where precisely in the water country she hailed from.

He had no idea of which mysterious clan Lukra was clearly a member of.

What training she had received or who she had studied under.

What rank she had held in the Mist, if any.

Or even the details of exactly what had occurred that had caused her to try and escape to Konoha.

'

All he knew was that Lukra was assigned to his Team, and he was expected to get along with her.

As usual without anyone asking how he felt about the issue.

'

Team Jiraiya had always been the place he could go to enjoy life, to dig out the best in himself.

Currently his favorite place to hang out was being converted into an awkward verbal slug fest every other day.

He wasn't feeling too great about the trade.

'

And if he was honest Lukra made him a bit uncomfortable too.

'

She barely smiled, barely talked, made absolutely no effort to share anything whatsoever about herself.

And had a serious and almost grim demeanour about her.

Lukra had _presence_ , an intensity that radiated off her, just being around her you felt the sharpness of it.

'

And while it wasn't malevolent or anything, it was hard to relax with that edge around.

Coupled with that Minato could still remember his brutal first sparring matches with her, and being mercilessly arm barred to the ground.

Having the said object of his competition in front of him all day wasn't exactly comfortable or in any shape or form, _relaxing_.

'

Minato often wondered how Lukra felt about it,

He knew reasonably speaking that it hadn't been her idea to duel with him by means of introduction.

So intellectually he knew he shouldn't blame her for that.

'

Lukra never brought up their antagonistic first meetings.

She also didn't bring up the Bell Test they'd done together against Jiraiya.

Where despite reservations, they had worked and flowed in sync with each other as if in a dream.

Lukra barely spoke to Minato at all, and that was more than she did for Ai and Sabarou.

'

She just did the D ranks, and then hurried off as if there were somewhere she urgently needed to be.

Lukra didn't seem eager to spend a single second longer in his company than she needed to.

 _Don't know what to make of her,_ Minato thought honestly to himself.

Minato feeling a headache finally gave up thinking about his mysterious new teammate.

'

The last time someone had caused him so much consternation it had been the pot mouthed Kushina.

 _You barely know her, give her a chance and just see how things play out,_ Minato told himself.

He wasn't one for jumping to foregone hasty conclusions.

 _Well see..._ he thought

'

The next morning Minato arrived at the bridge over an hour early.

Ever since he'd had his head smashed to the ground by Lukra, he had keenly felt the need to up his game.

So Minato had doubled the amount of training he normally did.

He had just finished some drills and working on the Rasengan.

He was pleased at how much he'd done, but pushing so hard didn't exactly feel comfortable.

'

Minato stood at the bridge, using chakra to rotate leaves in a circle over his palms to pass the time.

He wondered idly what Lukra was doing.

'

He'd overheard in passing from Ai's mom, who had given Minato a free ice-cream that morning,

That Lukra's distinctive long dark haired form could often be seen heading off to training ground 3 in the early hours of the morning.

Evidently Lukra felt the need to put in few extra hours practice herself.

'

Minato knew first hand how effective her Icy bloodline could be. Creating ice like projectiles that moved at you with blinding speed.

Along with mirrors that allowed near instantaneous transportation.

And worst, if her icy techniques so much as grazed you, they infected the targeted limb with an unnerving paralysis.

'

Konoha was packed full of clans with special jutsu, the Uchiha, Hyuuga, Abarume, Inuzuki, Yamanaka and Akimichi.

But even for Konoha, Lukra's strange brand of jutsu was pretty exotic and mysterious.

Minato would love to have a closer look at whatever she Ice technique she was working on.

'

 _He was early..._

Why not go and have a look and the come back? Nobody would know.

Minato stealthily departed heading off for training ground three.

He weaved his way into the trees surrounding the area, skilfully hiding himself.

Gradually coming closer to where Lukra would likely be training.

His heart started pounding a bit as he got closer to the woods end.

'

It did occur to Minato to ask himself if he _should_ spy on Lukra.

Brutal spars notwithstanding, She had actually been fairly decent and polite to him thus far.

But in the end curiosity won out over that hesitation. _He really did want to know._

Slipping from tree to tree, and using the green foliage to keep himself covered, and taking care to make sure his distinctive blonde hair was blocked from view.

Sometimes he despaired at having such a blatant anti camouflage standout feature.

Minato came to the edge of the wood.

'

Sure enough Lukra was there, he spied her long dark waist length hair swinging in the middle of the ground.

Her tall lithe features were hunched over trying to get her breath back.

Sweat pored off her body in rivulets.

She looked haggered, she had obviously been going at it for several hours.

'

Minato was a very hardworking individual, but clearly Lukra had worked herself to the point of exhaustion.

And she was going to do all the team training today on top of this!

'

Getting her breath back Lukra stood back on her feet.

Making a set of seals she threw her hand to the floor, "Doton, Iron spike jutsu! She cried out.

A series of two foot wide, and five foot high grey pillars pierced through the ground like teeth, resembling rods.

Each was spaced about six feet from the other covering sixty feet in front of lukra.

Not missing a beat, she weaved a second swift set of seals, "Raiton, Arc light Jutsu!"

'

The lightning jutsu hit the middle pillars, and in a blinding coalescence, arced out spreading jaggedly from pillar to pillar.

The grid of metallic rods serving as a conductor.

In a split second, the entire area had been transformed into a writhing mass of deadly light.

Anybody not seriously quick on their feet or perhaps underground would be in big big trouble.

'

 _Quite a trap_ he thought.

And not what you would expect from someone with an ice bloodline limit.

He had been expecting something more watery based.

But lukra wasn't finished. She created a clone.

'

In a blink she weaved another set of seals, "Katon, Phoenix flame jutsu!"

Her clone beside her worked in conjunction, adding some sort of wind jutsu to augment it.

Lukra's fire jutsu, just a slew of small fireballs, were turned into a spreading curtain of destruction, engulfing the area of lightning conducting spikes.

Minatos eyes widened.

'

He doubted an Uchiha with the Grand fireball could have done better.

Whether Lukra was thinking of fighting a group, or just trying to pin down elusive nin, the strategy would work equally well.

'

Lukra was once more hunched over trying to get her breath back.

But in an inordinately short time, she stood right up again, turned south and created another spike like area, and used her Raiton trap again.

Then she used her Fire and wind combo to cook the whole area again.

'

Minato wondered just how many of these she had done.

Judging from the torn up ground which Minato was only just noticing now, a great deal.

He couldn't help but admire anyone with such a steely work ethic.

'

Lukra then paused for a long moment, as if sensing something, and Minato felt a jolt of unease.

Preparing to move if need be.

But then she just seemed to decide nothing was there.

She weaved another set of seals changing to another element, "Suiton, Water bullet jutsu!" firing off watery projectiles.

'

Minato noticed that unlike last time, she was targeting very precisely,

Only hitting single pillars, as if catching an immobilized target caught by her precious jutsu.

Lukras next Jutsu was the Kirigakures traditional Mist technique, coating all the area in a foggy cloud.

'

Although a basic one, Minato knew how eerie disconcerting it could from his own matches when used by a skilled strategist.

Minato felt a brief twinge of unease for a moment which he pushed down.

'

Minato lost view of Lukra.

Minato had just decided he'd seen enough when he sensed a crackling noise and a chill in the air.

An icy mirror was forming by a tree to his right, and another to his left! Minato felt a jolt of fear and alarm run through his body.

'

 _Crap_! She had spotted him!

Minato Legged it and tried to sprint away, before she could properly identify him.

'

One of the mirrors emitted a blinding flash, paining his eyes and slowing him for a few seconds.

Minato cartwheeled and dodged as best he could in his half blinded state, trying to get away.

He felt a sharp sting as a slew of Senbon pierced Minatos side, both legs and his left arm, burrowing into his skin.

'

If anybody told you that Senbon didn't hurt, they were blatantly _lying_ , Minato thought in agony.

They stung like fire!

'

Worse was what happened next, he tried moving his legs but they were dead weights sending him crashing to the ground.

Bruising his chin on the dirt.

His left arm slumped bonelessly as well.

Minato tried as hard he could to make his body move, but his limbs might as well have been made of wood. He had this horrible trapped feeling.

'

It was alarming how fast that effect happened. As if cutting all the nerves in the limb.

Trying desperately with his right arm to flip himself over, perhaps draw some Kunai or shruiken, Minato awkwardly managed to lurch over.

Lukra swiftly put an end to any thoughts of that.

'

A trio of Senbon pierced all along his right forearm and upper arm leaving him helplessly pinned to the floor.

All of his four primary limbs incapacitated.

"Minato Namikaze, fancy seeing you around here" Lukra said icily, emerging like liquid fury from a mirror, to stand over to Minato.

She had a distinctly unimpressed look in her eyes.

'

Lukra made some one handed seals clearly distinctive of her ice techniques.

Fluid liquid colaeseced around Minatos wrists and ankles, before hardening like a vice to form an icy cuff.

Making a hand gesture, the wrist blocks dragged him to his feet working with the bonds on his legs, suspending Minato in mid-air.

Minato noticed lukra distributed his weight so it wasn't all that uncomfortable. She just wanted to talk it seemed.

The Senbon still sticking in him hurt like hell though.

'

"Hey Lukra," Minato said rather sheepishly.

"Are you going to make up some kind of excuse that Jiraiya sent you to find me?" she demanded, a harsh tone in her voice.

Minato shook his head, "No I'm not, I was watching you, I'm not denying it" he said at last deciding to own up to that fact.

Her expression narrowed as she considered this statement for a few moments.

'

"Well, at least you're honest" she said finally.

"This is a ridiculous question I know...," Lukra drawled, "but..."

"Are you in any shape or form _sorry_ about stalking me" she asked her hands on her hips.

"I am sorry"

"Sorry for spying on me, or sorry you got _caught_?" she asked cynically.

"For spying on you" Minato clarified, and he found he actually was.

'

"Is this the first time you've done it?"

"Yes, Lukra, it is, I know you have no reason to believe me, but it is"

"And were you planning on doing it in the future" she asked, twirling a Senbon in her fingers.

It made Minato nervous, those things _hurt_.

Was she planning on sticking any extra ones in him?

'

"I...I...don't know" Minato said at last, he wasn't quite sure himself.

"Yes, or no Minato" she demanded impatiently.

Minato sighed and said, " _Maybe_ , It was a spur of a moment thing, I wasn't making future plans or anything,"

"But...?"

"But being honest maybe the occasional time" Minato admitted a little guiltily.

From this perspective it really did sound bad.

'

"And was Ai, Sabarou or anyone else involved"

"It was just me Lukra, And just this one time, I swear"

"This one time potentially" she clarified sharply,

"I wonder how _conscientious_ you would be feeling if I hadn't caught you" she said cynically.

A very hard look on her face.

'

"I'm not making excuses here, but there was no malice, it was just curiosity" Minato said evenly.

"And I honestly don't think I would have made a habit of it" he added.

"So as long as youre curious its ok? Is that your justification?" she said scornfully.

"That's your high moral standard?"

"If you were curious about my bloodline, did it ever occur to you to ask me to show you?" She asked sarcastically.

"Would you have?"

"I might have" lukra replied evenly, her expression unreadable.

'

"This is probably going to get me into even more trouble..." Minato said tentatively.

"Go on, spit it out" Lukra snapped impatiently.

"Well we are...you know...Ninja, its our job to sneak around and gather information, it is part of what we do,"

He felt like he was nailing in the pins for his own coffin.

"When we don't know something we find it out by information gathering" Minato himself would admit he was on pretty flimsy ground here morally.

Lukra gave him a pensive look and sighed, "It is an extension of what we do, I get that kind of thinking Minato...

"But?"

"But it doesn't excuse you," she said firmly,

"Were on the same team I believe" she said a pointed look on her face.

"We were competitors untill only recently" Minato said softly.

"True enough, but that still doesn't cut you any Ice" Lukra said, sapphire eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction.

'

She finally tucked her Senbon into her belt to Minatos marked relief.

"How would you feel if the positions were reversed, I was spying on your every training session, tell me?" she asked.

"I wouldn't like it, I would try to stop it, or go somewhere you couldn't spy on me" he answered truthfully.

"Exactly, You wouldn't tolerate it, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't."

'

"The difference being that its just me in _your village_ , you can just run off to your friends, your Sensei or the village authorities if you _don't like it_ " Lukra said cuttingly.

"If something is going on with you or your friends in my case, Who do I go to put a stop to it? Jiraiya? You're pet sensei of ten years?"

"I...maybe he would..."

Lukra interrupted him ruthlessly.

"The difference is Minato, you _think_ you can get away with it, there's no consequences for you" she emphasised.

Minato didn't have an answer for her.

'

Lukra went on implacably "The invasion of my privacy aside, do you think it helps anything on Team Jiraiya right now?" she said referring to the strained atmosphere.

"You don't have to _like_ me Minato, If you don't want to be 'teammates' that's fine, but we _do_ have to be on the same team."

"If I get kicked of team Jiraiya, It doesn't really affect you Ai and Sabarou, its just a fucking lark, Its good _entertainment_ for you" she said angrily.

"If it doesn't work out for me, I go straight to Orochimaru, I have to make this work Minato, I have to!" she said insisted urgently,

"Lukra, Im not doing anything to jeopardise your place on the team...I swear I'm not" Minato said earnestly, alarmed she was bringing all this into it.

This was getting way put of hand.

'

"It was just a poorly thought out impulse today, that's all" he emphasised.

"And you expect me to believe that?" she said, her forehead creasing.

"Its the truth, believe what you will" Minato said arcing his jaw stubbornly and turning away, nothing to lose at this point.

There was a long silence as Lukra scrutinised him intently.

'

"You're a funny one Minato" Lukra said finally, looking more than a little exasperated by the dilemma of him.

"Don't know what to make of you" she muttered in a quiet voice, as if to herself.

Minato felt a bizarre twinge of Deja vu, he'd had this exact thought only yesterday.

"Um thanks...I think" he said eloquently.

Something seemed to occur to her.

'

"Minato can I ask you something? Since youre hanging around" Lukra asked, seemingly unaware of the humour of her own statement.

"Yeah, why not, I'm not going anywhere" Minato said feeling flip, it certainly wasn't a boring morning he had to admit.

"How do _you_ feel about me being on Team Jiraiya, No condemnation, no judgement, I just want to know the truth" she asked quietly.

'

"I don't mind you" Minato said honestly, at once.

The answer bubbling instantly to his lips so fast it surprised both of them.

By the look of her Lukra clearly wondered what on earth that meant.

'

"Could you at all clarify that?" lukra said, rubbing one eye,

Minato, stumbled over his words, not exactly stellar at expressing himself.

"I...I don't hate you or anything, and I certainly don't want you with Orochimaru...I just... don't really know you yet Lukra," he answered honestly.

"I promise I'm not going to do anything to make your life harder on Team Jiraiya, That's not the kind of person I am" Minato said softly.

'

Lukra pondered over his words, trying to ascertain the percentage of truth in them.

Before finally saying "Thanks for that much at least,"

"least I can do..."

"You don't _have_ to do anything for someone who has you strung up like a rabbit," Lukra pointed out frankly.

"I _did_ partially deserve it" Minato admitted.

Lukra sighed and finally her hard look softened a little bit.

'

"You're lucky I like your attitude" she said jadedly at last.

"lets get those Senbon out of you" she said in a slightly defeated tone, looking as though she wanted to be a lot angrier at him but couldn't quite seem to manage it for some reason.

"They do sting a bit...not gonna lie...ouch!" he whimpered as she pulled out the one on his bicep.

"Yes, I know, they were aimed at your nerve clusters" she said matter of factly.

Not looking the least bit doubtful of his claim.

'

Minato peered with renewed interest at the spikes adorning his arms, with a kind of morbid fascination.

Now looking more closely he could see the Senbon had struck at some of the pressure points he recognised in anatomy books.

Angry red marks engorging those areas.

Almost akin to the Hyuugas style of targeting tenkutsu points with their gentle fist strikes.

To hit such precise zones required a much greater accuracy ratio than throwing a kunai.

He glanced at Lukra myopically with a new found wary respect.

'

"Not to mention Senbon are designed to penetrate muscles and bone efficiently" she added verily.

"Sounds nice" Minato said.

'

She gently pulled out the ones decorating his forearm, having something of a physicians touch to minimise the pain.

She obviously had a fair bit of practice taking them out.

After the ones on his arms Lukra took out the ones on his side, those ones stung even more and left a tickling sensation when removed.

Minato winced along routinely at the process, trying not to let the stings make his eyes watery.

He didn't think the most manly thing to do here was cry.

'

"Ooh!" he said as the last two needles were removed from his legs.

"Thanks" he said in marked relief, feeling a little better, he noticed that whatever paralysing agent she was using was still in full effect.

It wasn't hitting the pressure points that had froze him, it was some toxin or chemical coated on the Senbon Minato deduced.

Was she skilled at using poisons perhaps?

Whatever it was Minato doubted she woukd want to share it with him right now, so he decided to suspend his curiosity.

'

Minato noticed, Lukra was grim and she was hard, but there was a frankness and sincerity to her manner that was oddly attractive.

Even in this awkward antagonistic situation Minato didn't feel as if he had to censor his words, he was free to speak the truth openly without fear of offending.

It was actually a rather liberating feeling.

'

Minato had met his fair share of fake, shallow people, who didn't seem to know who they were.

Who said one thing, but often didn't mean it one jot.

Who were constantly manoeuvring for some slight advantage.

But Lukra as a person felt undeniably _real_ , utterly without artifice

Minato actually found that refreshing, go figure.

'

"You really are decent Minato" she commentated lightly, more conversationally.

"Thanks" he said awkwardly, not sure how to respond.

"It's not a Common trait in the Mist,"

"A good trait I hope"

"It's just surprising, that's all" she said simply, making no mention of whether she approved or disapproved.

'

"Things are different here in Konoha"

"Not the spying, that's still the same" Lukra insisted sharply.

There was a silence, Minato didn't want to bring up the issue of him eavesdropping on her again, and go back down that path, so he changed the subject instead.

"Hey Lukra, since were here can I ask you something?"

"Go on, ask away"

'

"You asked me how I felt about you joining Team Jiraiya, How do you feel about us?" he asked in return. "You must have doubts"

'

"Plenty of them" she said at once.

"Well...care to elaborate?" Minato asked.

'

"Your teacher is incompetent to start with." She instantly launched with, irritating Minato right off the bat.

Minato felt the heated urge to defend Jiraiya, but decided not to in his precarious position.

This was a good time to learn something, _this is not the time to argue_ he told himself sternly.

'

Instead he bit down his tongue literally and invited her pleasantly to go on, "And..."

"And Ai is a spiteful little brat who wants me gone",

 _Definitely no arguments there,_ Minato thought silently.

"Sabarou is a mute who wants nothing to do with me"

"And You're busy spying on me" she added drily ticking them off her fingers, saving the best for last.

'

Minato winced.

"You must hate us all" Minato concluded at last, wondering if they honestly deserved that assessment.

'

Were they really just jerks when it came right down to it?

He himself didn't seem to have much qualms about justifying spying out of mere curiosity,

He hadn't stopped to really think about how he would feel if the reverse had happened to himself.

'

"How I feel is irrelevant, I have to make this work" Lukra repeated calmly, looking indifferent.

"I see...well thanks for..." he began awkwardly.

'

"Anyway, I don't hate you...any of you" Lukra interrupted him heavily.

Minato looked at her sharply with surprise.

"Ai and Sabarou are children who know nothing of this world,"

"Jiraiya for all his flaws is a better alternative than Orochimaru"

"And you...considering I've had the pleasure of losing to you and you spying on me..."

'

She paused, evidently having difficulty quantifying what she felt in regards to him.

'

" _I don't dislike you"_ she muttered at last, some indecipherable emotion in her voice.

'

Perhaps not quite sure herself, Lukra made absolutely no attempt to elaborate on what she meant.

'

"I don't dislike you either Lukra" Minato replied back honestly.

Even though he'd had such a brutal series of spars, been kicked out of his comfort zone, and had her presence foisted on him, he honestly didn't hate her.

'

There was another long silence between them.

It was weird, it was like some sort of unspoken confession was transpiring almost unawares by both of them.

So if they both _didn't dislike_ each other, did that mean admitting that they _liked_ each other on some level?

Minato honestly didn't know.

'

He felt much more comfortable around her than he had any right to considered he was restrained and suspended in mid air.

It might have been a trick his imagination, but Minato got the distinct impression Lukra didn't particularly mind being around him.

'

"I do owe you one, you know" Lukra said almost out of the blue, jarring Minato once more out of his thoughts.

"What?" Minato blurted in surprise, with both the eloquence and appearance of an open mouthed fish.

'

"On the Bell Test, you worked with me so well,"

"You didn't have to, you didn't have to do anything for me after the way I treated you in those first matches" Lukra clarified, looking faintly puzzled at his actions.

"You could have just not bothered, or deliberately made it difficult. And if you had I might well have ended up with Orochimaru" she said with a shudder.

'

"It was my pleasure" Minato said with a shrug.

A lot of his decisions had honestly been made on an unconscious level that night.

He actually had a hard time explaining himself why he had done what he did.

He wasn't sure how altruistic that made him in reality.

'

He wondered if now was the time to start subtly hinting about being let down.

The unnaturally resistant to melting ice was starting to chafe his wrists.

'

"So, seeing as youre so _grateful_ , would you mind letting me down" Minato suggested enticingly.

"Not so fast leaf boy, we need to lay down some ground rules first" Lukra said in a business-like tone, snapping out of her introspection to regard him much more seriously.

 _So much for gratitude_ _Minato thought with chagrin._

'

"Since when am I called 'leaf boy', I don't particularly like the sound of that" Minato complained blandly.

"You're immobilised and at my mercy, I can call you 'Mr caterpillar' If I like" Lukra said firmly.

'

 _Well when you put it that way..._

"Fair point" Minato admitted ruefully.

"What ground rules did you have in mind?" He asked warily trying to get through this.

'

"This is the _last_ time any incident like this happens Minato, I promise I'm not going to invade your privacy, and I expect the same from you" she said icily

"That's fair" Minato agreed quickly.

"Glad to know we _agree_ " she said briskly giving him a sceptical look.

'

"Anything else?"

"Since we don't know each other well..."

"Can we agree not to make each others life difficult on Team Jiraiya? If either of us wants to go beyond that its totally optionable, But that should be the _mimumum_ " Lukra suggested intelligently.

"That's fair" Minato said.

"So will you let me down now?" He asked starting to feel a little impatient.

'

"One final detail," she said in a delicate tone.

'

"What is it?" He asked cautiously, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

 _Why was there always a catch?_

'

Before Minato could protest or offer any kind of defence,

Lukra spun round and executed a perfectly controlled strike to his solar plexus.

'

'

The air left Minato's lungs like a vacuum, and he felt like he was drowning, his vision went dark and he could see stars dancing around the edge of his sight.

The solar plexus is an irritating part of the body, one you couldn't really tense up unlike your abs.

There is a level of pain must men can deal with taking a strike, this blow was two octaves past that level.

'

"I want to make our working relationship absolutely clear Minato, This shadowing, I don't care the reason, _is not_ acceptable behaviour, _I don't tolerate it"_ Lukra said, an iron clang entering her voice.

'

"Since you've been so candid and decent, I will let you off _lightly_ " she, said calmly, a terrible implication in her words.

'

"Make no mistake, I will not be so _generous_ if this is repeated in future" She promised darkly, a look of absolute without compromise on her face.

'

Minato barely noticed the ice on his limbs shattering, releasing him to fall flat wheezing on the floor,

The mobility by some mysterious means instantly restored to his limbs.

Minato huddled over miserably in a ball of pain, completely out of it.

'

"See you at training later" Lukra said lightly, leaving the small forest through a gap in the trees.

Minato struggling to get air to his lungs couldn't have gasped out a reply if he had wanted to.

 _What a horrid girl!_

 _She was worse than Kushina!_

 _'_

 _'_

"Minato, are you okay? You look a little pale" Jiraiya commentated when Minato arrived at the bridge.

"Fine, just had a bad breakfast" he replied casually, still feeling the ache.

He'd lifted up his shirt gingerly in the forest earlier to check the damage.

His chest had a nasty blue and black bruise where Lukra had levelled him.

It hurt like fire to touch it even slightly.

'

Even walking slowly sent sharp needle like pains through his body, as he gingerly traversed the distance from the forest to the team meeting place.

'

"Well be careful what you eat Minato, I expect you to show up on time" Jiraiya chastised in admonishment.

"Yes sensei" Minato said mechanically, trying not to wheeze again.

"Anyway, get ready, Kazerin has given us a job, there's some rice fields that need to have their harvest gathered, the local labour came down sick" Jiraiya informed them all.

'

"We're doing _farming_?" Lukra questioned in disbelief, her head turning sharply, and her eyes wide, "We're going to hone our skills by pulling up rice shoots?"

She seemed to be waiting for Jiraiya to declare it was some kind of April fools joke.

Ai looked silently as if she might agree with Lukra, but kept silent,

Heaven forbid she be seen actively agreeing with lukra on any topic

"Here, take these, the sun can glare a bit this time of year" Jiraiya said mellifluously in answer, completely ignoring the indignant reaction Lukra sported,

Pressing a few conical shaped hats and some scythe shaped farming implements into her arms.

'

"Are we training to be shinobi or farmers?" Lukra said acerbically.

"You should never underestimate the value of some good hard manual labour, not to mention _some patience_ " Jiraiya suggested bracingly.

'

Lukra had been unenthusiastic about some of the D ranks, But now she was practically livid.

She gave an almost seething look at him before deciding to stalk off silently to the farmland.

Jiraiya eyes tightened at her attitude for a moment, but he decided not to comment on it.

"Everyone, try and be back before the end of the day, I have some training I want to run through with you all" he instructed.

Sabarou just nodded.

'

Minato glanced at Ai, she didn't meet his eye.

Whether she had spoken to Jiraiya or not was hard to determine, but she made no mention of it.

Jiraiya himself gave no indication of it.

Minato shot a furtive glance at Lukra, she made gave absolutely no indication that anything had transpired at all between them.

He was both annoyed and grateful for this

'

Minato stumbled gamely after everyone else, trying not to let his handicap show.

It took a while to get the hand of swinging the scythe like shears for cutting the rice stalks.

But you got the knack after a few dozen tries, it wasn't too different from wielding a Kunai.

Even that limited motion strained Minato, his upper body aching like hell, but he kept his blade swinging to short arcs to compensate.

As the sun got hotter everyone donned the conical shaped head to prevent burns on the back of the neck.

The hats felt a little stifling but were preferable to the alternative.

'

Sabarou sweated like a bear, but had a good go, while Ai seemed too dainty for this kind of work.

The bushels of rice were almost as big as she was.

Minato being a patient sort, under different circumstances, might have lost himself quite well in the mundane rhythm of the activity.

Minato in general loved the feel of being around nature.

'

But between the sharp stabbing pains plaguing him,

And the incandescent ball of discontent wrapped up in the human form of Lukra.

Any kind of potential positivity was drained from the air.

They had done about an hour of laborious work when lukra, hair tied back in a practical ponytail to avoid getting in the way turned to Minato.

'

He warily eyed her approach feeling a trace of fear as she did so.

However it wasn't him who she had issue with.

'

"What is your instructor playing at Minato?" she asked very bluntly.

"A stint at being a courier or demolitionist isn't too degrading, but this?! Manual labour suited to serfs?! what does he hope to accomplish from this?" She questioned in a low hiss.

"Maybe he wants us to know this role for some kind of infiltration" Minato whispered back, grasping at straws.

Both figuratively and literally in this case.

'

"So we can infiltrate some illustrious granary?" she said sceptically, tilting the rim of her comical hat to peer at him better.

"I don't know Lukra, but Jiraiya normally has a good reason for doing things" he said steadfastly, taking another swing at another offending bushel of rice.

Minato couldn't see it for the life of him, but he had to believe.

Lukra wrenched up some more rice, tossing it onto the growing stack to be carted off.

'

"This isn't developing conditioning, reflexes, intellect, or any kind of practical skill"

"I would literally be better of walking on trees the whole day than this, at least I would actually be doing something constructive" she said in frustration.

"We have training later tonight, we'll probably learn something then" Minato said brusquely hoping she would leave him alone.

'

"Maybe" she said looking very dubious.

"But of course untill then, the four hours of chopping rice stalks are so integral it cannot be dispensed with" she said sourly.

"I don't know!" Minato hissed back irritably, and wishing he hadn't, just doing that made his chest ache throb a bit more.

'

He found he didn't care about earlier, how she felt about the damned matter, or just who the hell she was, he just knew he didn't want to converse with her for another second.

"Talking's not going to make it go any faster!" He said giving her a pointed look, jutting out his jaw stubbornly daring her to argue with him.

'

Lukra took the hint and moved off down her row to Minatos relief, he relaxed a little as her intense presence was distanced.

It seemed as though she had decided to draw a line over this mornings incident and leave it be at that.

Minato both angered at the blow done to him, but also acknowledging his own role in spying on her decided to call it a bad job and leave it at that also.

He glanced at the chest high pile of rick stalks needing to be carried.

'

Something he was in no way shape or form able to do currently.

 _If only_ there were someone around with a bit of raw physicality and upper body strength.

He spied around,

His sharp summer sky blue eyes locating his broad-shouldered and bulky teammate.

"Hey Sabarou!" Minato called out wheedlingly.

'

By the end of the day everyone was sweaty, tired and sporting an ache on their shoulders and back.

Minato's bruised solar plexus sent a constant stream of sharp pain through his body every time he reached down.

Between that and Lukras ever present discontent brewing like a half dormant volcano as a backdrop.

Minato had never been so glad to complete a mission.

'

Jiraiya's sharp eyes watched them intently as they approached, he asked them good naturedly how it had gone.

Jiraiya had such a warm and humorous presence that could turn many mundane events upside down.

He joked light heartedly at their dusty, sweaty state.

He listened benignly to the string of complaints from Minato and Ai, taking it calmly in his stride.

'

Lukra during this ominously kept silent.

Minato noticed Jiraiya seemed to subtly be looking for something in them as a group.

Whatever this something was...it was evidently not present as he had a slightly disappointed air about him that he kept well hidden to all but Minato.

'

Minato was in a state of bemusement at this,

He had thought Kazerin, the Hokages aide had honestly had no other missions available.

'

Had mindlessly cutting up rice shoots actually had some ulterior purpose in mind?

One he certainly hadn't seemed fit to brief his students on.

Later just as the team broke up for the end of the day, Jiraiya pulled him aside.

'

'

'

"Minato, you got a minute?"

"Sure" he replied, hoping Jiraiya wouldn't sense his discomfort.

He didn't fancy explaining this morning to anyone.

"Good lad, Minato, are you doing anything tonight?" he said, clapping Minato on the shoulder good naturedly making Minato nearly wince.

"Not really" he said honestly.

His only plans for the evening involved an ice pack

'

"Right then, how would you feel about taking Lukra to a dinner somewhere, or maybe a movie, show her around Konoha a bit" Jiraiya said enterprisingly.

"I...um...don't know Sensei" Minato managed to get out, impressed at his self control.

He'd wanted to have a much more choleric reaction.

'

It was about the most unpleasant proposition hed ever heard.

All Minato wanted to do right now was collapse on his bed back home, and nurse his tired and bruised body back to some semblance of normal health.

He didn't want to see anyone right now, let alone the cause of it.

'

"What, you're tired or something?" Jiraiya asked

"Yeah, it was a long day" Minato said enthusiastically, latching onto the excuse like a life boat.

"Okay, fair enough, what about tomorrow, or Friday? Maybe bring Sabarou with you, don't worry about Ai" he said with a slight grimace, apparently annoyed at her.

'

 _So Ai had spoken to him,_ Minato guessed, _and been shot down it seemed._

"I don't know Sensei, Lukra doesn't really seem that keen on that sort of thing" he said delicately.

"Well have you asked?" Jiraiya asked bluntly.

"Well no..."

"Then maybe she might surprise you" Jiraiya said pointedly.

"Lukra's not exactly the most _friendly_ of individuals" Minato said ambiguously.

'

Hoping Jiraiya wouldn't question too closely into this statement

"Minato, I've carefully watched all your training sessions, there more than one type of unfriendly going on around here" Jiraiya said in a gruff,

"It's mostly Ai," Minato defended instantly.

"I know, but frankly I am a bit disappointed in you Minato, you're normally the first to help out someone in need" he said frowning a bit in disapproval at him.

'

"In need?" Minato asked incredulously, feeling genuinely confused.

How was Lukra in any shape or form, In need?

Lukra seemed more than capable of looking after herself as far as Minato was concerned.

'

'

"You've heard of the Mist civil war right Minato?" Jiraiya said expectantly.

"Yes, of course" Minato said impatiently, hadn't everyone.

"You know Lukra escaped from that, just barely by the accounts she gave, I'd wager she's seen one or two unpleasant things along the way," he said gently.

"I guess" Minato said.

"Does it remind you of any other refugee girls you might know?" Jiraiya asked meaningfully.

'

Minato sighed, already all sorts of unpleasant parallels were being drawn in his mind from Uzumaki Kushina to Lukra Mizakaro.

"Sometimes people who are unfriendly have a reason to be so, wouldn't you agree in Kushinas case" Jiraiya said cagily, a slight teasing undertone to his voice.

"Yes" Minato said dully, nailed down.

'

Jiraiya finally unfolded his arms, looking at Minato, an uncharacteristically serious expression adorning his face.

He said in a more gentle but serious voice, "Minato, Lukra has been in Konoha for all of two months,"

"She's probably lost a lot of people she cared about, and that's still gonna be recent and raw"

Minato peaked up with interest, wondering if Jiraiya was going to finally tell him something about Lukra.

'

Jiraiya however didn't elaborate to his extreme disappointment.

"She doesn't know anyone here, and she's having to start a whole new life for herself " Jiraiya insisted earnestly.

"Humans are tough, we can deal with a lot, but it wouldn't hurt for you to invite her to a few things, show her that she does have some friends in Konoha" Jiraiya said in mild condemnation.

'

"Sabarou is too introverted, Ai is too Ai" Jiraiya went on, Making Minato laugh at his description of Ai.

"If its gonna happen, it has to be you Minato" Jiraiya pointed out logically.

"I'll invite her out" Minato promised feeling beaten.

'

The annoying thing was now that it had been phrased as one of Minato's duties,

He wouldn't forget, would be pathetically responsible enough to track Lukra down, and even organise Sabarou into coming.

He couldn't, _not_ do it.

'

But not tonight at least he thought soberly.

'

Minato also felt a little irked, bringing in Kushina was a low blow.

Jiraiya certainly knew all the buttons to push to play on Minatos natural sense of decency.

Now he couldn't get that image of the filthy, awkward and poignantly volatile Tom boy he had run into who had seemed so hostile back then.

But who had really needed an open hand extended.

'

"She might not want to though" Minato said carefully, thinking back to this morning.

What a horrendous experience on both sides he thought grimacing.

And now Minato realised what a mess to work though in terms of what Jiraiya wanted.

'

'

"All I'm asking is for you to try" Jiraiya said encouragingly, with a beaming smile.

Minato sighed, why did he suspect he was going to be asked to do a whole lot more than that.

'

'

'

Next day

'

'

"You want me to go to Dinner?" Lukra asked. A look of absolute incredulous confusion on her face, her eyes narrowed suspiciously at him.

"Yeah, I did" Minato said rather half-heartedly trying his best to sound like he wasn't blatantly lying.

 _Or at least Jiraiya did._

 _'_

"If you weren't doing anything, there's a new noodle restaurant in town we could go to, if your interested" he said tentatively with the enthusiasm of a gallows man.

'

Lukra gave him a suspicious look, clearly wondering what his game was.

"What's your game here Minato? What are you after?" Lukra said in a no nonsense tone, pursing her lips.

He didn't blame her to be honest, this was the first time he'd ever tried approaching her with something like this.

It must seem a little odd.

'

"Nothing," Minato said quickly, "At least nothing _that_ duplicitous" he said in answer to the still suspicious look.

"It's just you've been here a while, you're on our team, its customary round here to show new people the sights and places around, that's all" he said lightly.

"Oh, so that's what this is about, its custom" Lukra said musing over his words.

She actually seemed to be considering it now hed phrased it that way.

"we could go to a movie if you would prefer" Minato suggested, wondering if had offended her somehow at the idea of dinner.

'

Lukra finally answered, "Well Thankyou for the Invitation, but I'm a little busy right now" she said courteously with a small smile, bowing slightly.

'

Minato couldn't help but be a little charmed by her exquisite courtesy.

She pulled of a fairly good regal, grave manner Minato noticed.

Could pass for some sort of noblewoman among the Daimyo court perhaps.

'

It was almost completely inscrutable to Minato on any surface level.

He couldn't work out if she was annoyed, indifferent, suspicious or pleased by his offer.

'

"That's totally fine" Minato said, feeling his stomach lighten a bit instantly, rather relieved at the response.

"Maybe some other time this week, if you're free" he said without much enthusiasm.

"Yes, perhaps" Lukra said non committedly

"Well, see you later I guess"

"Yeah see you" she replied, ending the conversation.

'

Minato to his credit did ask a couple times over the next two weeks.

Sabarou had grudgingly been roped by Minato into accompanying if Lukra consented.

The suggestions varied, movies, city tours, dinners, joint training or plays, trying to scope out any area she might have an interest in.

The answer from Lukra was always a variant of, "I'm busy"

'

'

Minato irritated at the refusals finally decided to go the extra mile, bout two coupons for Konoha's most famous Dango shop.

Famed for it's especially succulent fare, and was the talk around the village.

Lukra had probably heard of it by now, via word of mouth.

'

Minato very rarely tried his best to charm the socks off someone, but he went out of his way this time.

Minato asked after team training with a very winning smile if she would come with him.

He had been sure that would have been the one to entice her.

Only to be politely refused and forced to go with Shikaku instead.

He might as well have suggested 'tap dancing'.

'

'

Minato reasoned that maybe she suspected he had ulterior motives and was still a little sore about the training incident.

But he had been nothing but pleasant ever since, and neither had she seemed particularly against his presence.

He thought she would have accepted at least _one_ invite out of sheer default or curiosity at this point.

He wasn't sure if he was annoyed or relieved at these unilateral refusals.

'

And after about three more refusals he plain stopped asking.

'

Minato would be the first to admit he wasn't going into this with a particularly zealous or wholehearted spirit.

Or that he wasn't partially relieved each time she refused.

But he had expected 'something' from her at this point, and he found her dismissive attitude vaguely offensive to be honest.

'

'

So he slipped back into his routine of studying, training, D ranks and time on Team Jiraiya.

Jiraiya seemed to look as though he wanted to ask how his effort was going but didn't push, seeming to trust Minato had it well in hand.

Occasionally he wondered a little guiltily,

A Jiraiya like conscience nagging in his mind if he ought to have tried a little harder to reach Lukra.

He had only made one 'truly' sincere effort in his books.

'

Minato might have felt more guilty if lukra had been obviously distraught.

But she didn't seem to be sad, or depressed or anything.

Unlike Kushina who had been unable to bring herself to study anything when she first got to Konoha, Lukra certainly didn't seem impaired by overwhelming grief.

'

She was very clear eyed, level headed and in general very robust.

if anything she was the most active member on Team Jiraiya.

Practically every spare minute Lukra had, was spent pulverising the training grounds.

This was clearly how Lukra wanted things, and she seemed fine emotionally so Minato decided to let her be.

'

'

'

'

The simmering issue between Lukra and Jiraiya finally came to a head three long weeks later.

The sun had turned into a dim orange, lengthening all of their shadows. signalling the end of the day.

A few tiny droplets of sweat trickled slowly down Minatos face, from both the heat and exertion.

Jiraiya had been pairing them off to do some chakra control exercises.

As usual Jiraiya paired Minato off with Lukra.

'

He always did this in joint exercises Minato noticed with chagrin.

Whether because of Ais actively hostile attitude or Lukra being closer to Minatos level he didn't know.

'

It was never comfortable around Lukra, no matter the exercise, Minato was always forced to work his butt off just to keep up.

He honestly thought Sabarou could be doing this a little more often.

'

'

'

Lukra snapped at Minato's white haired teacher acridly, "Jiraiya, when are you actually going to teach your students something?"

"Its Jiraiya sensei, and what do you mean by that" Jiraiya replied sharply, his patience at her constant needling exhausted.

'

"You are aware the 2nd shinobi war is going on right now, right?" she said rather condescendingly.

"I'm well aware" he grunted.

"Do you honestly think your students would last five minutes out there?" she asked.

"They're not out there right now, and I'm busy teaching them the tools they will need, take your place Lukra" he ordered.

'

"I refuse!" she said coldly.

"I will not participate in one more limiting, dogmatic and outdated session!" Lukra refused defiantly, throwing her gear furiously to the ground.

"All you are doing is finding ways for us to avoid doing anything actually productive, its pathetic!" she yelled.

"The only one with half a chance out there is Minato" she shouted jabbing her finger in Minatos direction.

"And even he is dangerously handicapped by your ineffectual teaching!"

'

"Ai and Sabarou should be sparring practically every second of the day, and practicing the things they will actually fucking use, in realistic situations"

"Not hunting down rebellious cats three hours a day!" She sneered incisively.

'

"That's enough Lukra!" Jiraiya barked, scaring several birds off nearby, a very peeved off look on his face.

"Ai and Sabarou, training is finished today, please go, I need to speak privately to young Lukra here" Jiraiya said giving Lukra a penetrating look.

Ai and Sabarou wordlessly left, looking faintly awed she had dared to contradict Jiraiya like that.

Glancing back with interest at the drama unfolding between their instructor and the dark haired girl.

Ai could barely conceal a bit of excitement, and a slightly hopeful look on her face, probably inwardly delighted at the trouble Lukra might be in.

Minato couldn't help but be disgusted at the vulture like attitude.

'

Minato made to leave but was halted by Jiraiya's gruff voice, "Not you Minato, you stay" he said irritably, a tic twitching by his eye.

Minato wondered why he was being kept back too, but didn't complain, he wanted to see what would happen next.

'

Jiraiya took a huge hand rubbed his forehead for a few seconds before turning back to the two remaining students.

Jiraiya finally spoke, and there was a hint of regret and apology in his tone.

'

"Okay, Lukra, I understand now, this is my bad, I underestimated how much of a difference there is between Mist training methods and Konoha's"

"It's no wonder you're not seeing what I'm trying to do here" he said with understanding.

"I promise no more D ranks, but there is a reason for everything else, you must trust me on this one" Jiraiya insisted earnestly, his eyes bright.

"You're not seeing it Lukra, you're not seeing something that could have real tangible benefits and repercussions in future" he said gently, genuine care in his voice.

'

"Sometimes I can't just tell you to do something Lukra, it has to happen naturally or it doesn't happen at all, doesn't have any meaning," he said cryptically.

"I see no reason to trust your supposed judgement at all..." Lukra said coldly, shutting him down.

'

"And more importantly" Jiraiya interrupted loudly annoyed, "You need to stop questioning in that mutinous manner, everything I'm doing"

"I've noticed Lukra, you dismiss the methods but you're not analysing them, you're not seeing their purpose" he criticised gently.

"If Ai and Sabarou are thrown off and lose confidence in me, its so much harder to teach them anything important later" Jiraiya said trenchantly.

'

"Did you ever consider that you don't deserve their blind confidence in you?" Lukra cut in dispassionately, her blue eyes like ice.

'

"Okay, fine, I see I'm going to have to explain this in a different way" Jiraiya said giving up on that line, and turning to a much more dangerous tone.

Minato felt his back prickle a bit ,he had never seen Jiraiya with a look like that.

'

"You obviously think I have nothing to teach you right?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Very little" she agreed starkly.

"In Konoha we love to debate things, I contest that opinion" Jiraiya said.

"I'm waiting for you to change my mind" she declared arrogantly.

'

"Would you agree that if I could beat you, that I must have a form of superior knowledge you don't" Jiraiya asked conversationally his previous irritation seeming to vanish.

Jiraiya actually smirked a bit, he seemed to have thought of something that would work.

Judging from the size of his smirk it was an unpleasant one.

'

"I would" Lukra replied, sensing his meaning instantly,

Minato felt tensing her body and a chill in the air as she activated her bloodline limit.

"Good, lets start with what we agree on, Defend yourself! Any way you can" Jiraiya bellowed.

'

Minato stepped out the way, not wanting to get caught in the middle.

Lukra didn't need any encouragement, swivelling fluidly to a crouch she unleashed a flurry of nerve agent coated Senbon.

They clattered harmlessly of Jiraiya's hair, that in a blur of motion elongated and wrapped itself around his body like a steely curtain.

Lukra surprised at the effectiveness of his seemingly harmless hair started making her unique one handed seals.

'

Summoning her strange ice mirror jutsu.

'

Minato actually felt a chill down his spine that had nothing to do with temperature.

The technique was so distinctive, both deadly and oddly beautiful in its own way.

It evoked a surprisingly poignant emotion from within Minato.

You couldn't deny that Lukra had style.

'

Minato wondered if he should call a warning to his sensei, but in the end decided to let it play out.

Jiraiya was a Jounin after all.

Jiraiya like lightning crouched down, using some sort of summoning technique.

"Sage art, Toad mouth trap" he bellowed.

'

Minato watched in amazement as a red spongy carpet erupted from his hands and spread around the floor at a exponential place, it also started arcing upwards.

It looked like a bizarre kind of red jelly.

Minato watched with alarm is it creeped under and around him, his sandals slipping a bit on the wet surface.

Within 6 seconds Minato, Lukra and Jiraiya were contained in a dank, pungent smelling red cavern of living flesh.

'

Lukra didn't waste time asking what it was, she flung Senbon, Shruiken and ice projectiles relentlessly at him.

All of which was scattered off harmlessly when something that looked horribly like a uvula erupted from the floor lurching at Lukra,

Eyes wide she leaped back, and tried to make it to one of her suspended ice mirrors, where she woukd have the speed to outrun it.

'

"Its much too late for that Lukra, you're in the stomach of my toad now" Jiraiya pronounced in a very final, 'I got you now you sucker' tone.

More red tentacles erupted out of every angle converging like snakes on lukra.

They also leaped at the mirrors she had created.

Wrapping around and shattering the array of mirrors she had made as effortlessly as if they were mere glass and not as hard as steel.

Lukra, that avenue closed dodged as best she could on foot but there was no escape, the red tentacles wrapped around her like pythons, pinning her arms to her sides.

'

"Aghllkkk!" Lukra screamed in dismay as she was caught.

The flesh like substance had a creeping strength powerful strong enough to subdue a full grown man.

And more than enough to subdue her.

Within split seconds she was pinned and half submerged into the wall.

'

The red flesh like substance creeping up around her body.

Only her face, three fingers of one hand and half of one leg were visible.

'

Minato glanced at his normally laid back sensei, blue eyes wide with surprise,

Minato always knew Jiraiya knew more than he let on, but he never suspected he had a devastating move like this hidden away.

It had all happened so _fast_!

'

The big burly man stomped over to the dark haired girl, "Lukra, if you have a way of getting out, don't be shy about using it" he invited casually.

Then he stood back patiently examining his nails for a whole five minutes as she struggled frantically to escape to no avail.

It was fairly obvious by this time that the clearly distressed Lukra had no such means.

'

Jiraiya finally stood right by her mere inches away and said deprecatingly,

"Forgive me, I feel this is a crass point to make, but perhaps someone born in the Hidden Mist will appreciate it"

"Lukra san, but if this were the real thing, who do you think would have 'won' by now?" he enquired casually.

Through gritted teeth Lukra said, "You would have"

Clearly hating every word.

'

"I agree with your assessment, You're very talented, anyone fool can see that Lukra, but you still have much to learn" he said firmly.

"Would you agree with that Lukra?"

After a long tense silence,

"Yes"

"Delighted to hear it" Jiraiya said blithely.

'

"Not withstanding, that I'm older and an experienced Jounin, would you agree if I can beat your strongest techniques and defences, might I not have some valid things to teach you Lukra san" Jiraiya enquired politely.

"Yes, I agree" Lukra said stiffly.

"Yes, what?" Jiraiya said expectantly, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, Jiraiya Sensei"

"That's better"

'

Lukra watched in helpless horror as the spongy material she was in seemed to suck her an extra inch inside.

"So since were having this wonderfully congenial and open discussion, would you mind criticising my teaching choices a little less volatilely in front of Ai and Sabarou?"

He asked courteously as if he were discussing the weather, as opposed to ruthlessly hammering in a threat.

"I will of course discuss my reasons why, but I would prefer a question opposed to a dismissal Lukra" he specified meaningfully.

'

"Yes.."

"Yes what?"

"Yes Jiraiya sensei" lukra said dully.

"Thankyou, I think its best if you use my title" Jiraiya proffered.

"Clearly you don't respect a more leisurely approach, So please address me as Jiraiya sensei at all times" He ordered firmly.

'

"Yes, Jiraiya sensei" she said docilely.

"Good! Now I'm not one of those brainless fucks who pioneer unquestioning obedience"

"But if I give an order, and it makes any kind of sense, I do expect you to follow it, without the attitude" Jiraiya emphasised.

'

"Yes, Jiraiya sensei" she said docilely.

"Thankyou Lukra" he said graciously, eyeing her intently,

'

After a few moments of eyeing each other intently he made a remark.

'

"You are such stubborn one aren't you?" Jiraiya said candidly.

"I see now what I initially had planned would never have worked, I completely underestimated that aspect about you Lukra, I wont again" Jiraiya said thoughtfully, his eyes shrewd.

Then his sharp eyes glanced back at Minato.

'

"Minato, Come here!" he bellowed.

Minato walked over gingerly, not liking the sensation his foot wear had of sliding off a gooey substance.

God knows if he fell down in it...

'

"Minato, what do you think? You know Lukra best, have I made a sufficient impression?

"Yes, I think you have" Minato said, rather unnerved by all the rapidly occurring events.

"Yes what?" Jiraiya asked meaningfully

"Yes Jiraiya sensei" Minato answered dutifully, humouring his teacher.

'

For crying out loud! He hadn't been the one rebelling here! He thought annoyed,

Now he was being lumped into the same rebellious category as Lukra.

'

"Jiraiya sensei, you've made yourself perfectly clear, I apologise for my earlier behaviour, I was out of line, please let me out of here" lukra pleaded contritely.

"I'm not convinced" Jiraiya said bluntly.

"Your as stubborn as they come Lukra, and I'm not in the mood for repeating myself ever again, so I think I'm going to let the message 'Sink in' for a bit" he said unpleasantly.

'

"How long is 'a bit'" lukra asked in poorly disguised horror.

"A couple of hours ought to do the trick I'd say" Jiraiya said casually.

'

"Sensei... isn't that a bit... _extreme_?" Minato questioned tentatively, eyes wide, rather alarmed at the unconventional punishment.

He kept glancing at Jiraiya furtively, He'd never seen this side of Jiraiya before.

'

"Minato I'm so glad you asked, you'll be able to answer that question first-hand" Jiraiya said maliciously, an unpleasant glint in his eye.

Jiraiya stomped his foot and suddenly living ganglia shot out from the wall to entrap Minato as well.

'

Minato tried drawing a kunai to fight off the tentacles but it was like fighting a shark with toothpick.

The spongy wave flowed past his attempts like water, entrapping him in split seconds.

'

"Jiraiya Sensei!" he screeched in shock and confusion, "What are you doing!?"

With a softened thunk sound he was submerged into the wall, most of his body engulfed by the slimy material.

He had to struggle not retch at the putrid smell suddenly brought inches from his nose.

'

"Teaching" Jiraiya answered bluntly.

"Minato what is the first lesson I taught you?"

"Teamwork" Minato answered, hoarsely, feeling the horror as the foul slime engulfed his body.

'

Only part of his left leg, chest and most of his right arm were free of the clingy embrace.

"Glad to see that you can remember that when it suits you" he snorted derisively.

"What on earth does teamwork have to do with this? I wasn't the one questioning you, that was Lukra! I had nothing to do with this?!" Minato shouted in disbelief.

'

Amazed and more than a little angry at the injustice being done to him.

Jiraiya didn't seem remotely impressed at his answer.

'

"You think you're innocent Minato?" Jiraiya snorted derisively, an ironical tone lacing his words.

Minato was genuinely confused at what he'd done to offend Jiraiya sensei.

'

"You didn't do what I asked Minato" Jiraiya accused him gravely,

"You know what I'm talking about" he added, a stern look on his face.

Minato's eyes widened, comprehending Jiraiya's meaning.

Lukra looked from student to teacher, puzzled on the exchange taking place here.

'

"You had something good to give, something I know you're perfectly capable of giving, and you chose to withhold it" Jiraiya said softly.

A look of cold knowingness on his face.

"I'm very disappointed in you Minato, I expected better of you" he said, his soft disapproval cutting Minato worse than any jutsu could have.

'

"Jiraiya! I...I'm..." Minato suddenly felt very hollow, very sleazy and ashamed at himself for passing the buck.

He realised that he didn't have an honest answer for Jiraiya, at least not one he could be proud of.

'

"I think Teammates should suffer and go through hard times together" Jiraiya said very very firmly.

"If Lukra's going to suffer a bit I think you should as well Minato"

'

Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders before tapping his hand on a wall to make a slit like opening.

"The toad mouth trap should wear off in a couple of hours time, 'I think' that is" he added thoughtfully.

'

"What do you mean 'You think!'" Lukra shouted after him in dismay.

Suddenly renewing her struggles to get out with extra intensity, sensing her time to persuade him was running out.

"Well I've never left it out overnight, I have no idea how long it naturally lasts" Jiraiya said delicately,

"I guess you can find out the answer and tell me in the morning" he suggested cheerfully.

'

"Please! There's no need" Lukra begged, her voice shrill.

"Jiraiya sensei, please think about this..."Minato pleaded.

Surely, his good natured, fair-minded sensei would see reason...

This couldn't actually be happening Could it?

'

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning if you're still in here" Jiraiya said cheerfully,

"Ja na!" he said waving jauntily in farewell.

In second he stepped through the entrance, the slit closed after him with an ominous squelching noise.

'

There was a resounding quiet in there as both students began to process the unpleasant reality of their situation.

The red walls made a dim lighting barely enough to see each other.

"Oh Kami!" Minato said in horror trying not to let the panic overwhelm him.

"Fuck!" Lukra said in revulsion, "He's left us here to rot in this fucking uvela!"

'

"I can't believe Jiraiya! I can't believe him! I can't believe he would actually do something like this!" Minato said in shock.

Still not quite able to believe Jiraiya had can't callous enough to leave him in here.

"This is not his usual teaching style then?" Lukra asked drily.

'

"You might bloody say!" Minato said sarcastically choking a bit, a rivulet of puke smelling slime trickling down his face.

The stomach wall curved a bit, and Lukra was contained about five feet to his left.

Due to the walls curve, they were almost facing each other, and could see the other prisoner clearly in the dim light.

'

The worst thing was the smell Minato decided, you got used to the wall, about the fleshy embrace, but the smell made you want to vomit.

He tried to breath more shallowly, and use his mouth, not his nose.

'

And the slime, oh the slime!

It saturated all of his body, and a steady stream was dripping on him from somewhere above.

The feeling of being soaked through all your clothes to the bone by this filthy liquid made you feel violated.

'

He desperately tried to keep his mind from thinking about it too much.

luckily there was someone he could vent on.

'

"You just had to keep provoking him, didn't you? Couldn't keep your damn mouth shut!" Minato shouted heatedly at Lukra.

"Jiraiya is totally reasonable, if you had just done the bloody exercise this wouldn't have happened, It's your fault were both stuck in here!" Minato shouted furiously.

'

Lukra's head, mostly free of the wall glared at him.

"I didn't ask him to put you there!" she refuted.

"And if his teaching wasn't so shoddy there would have been no need to yell at him" she said incisively.

'

"Jiraiya is normally a great teacher" Minato shot back "This isn't how he normally does things"

"You might like have mentioned it to me" Lukra snapped, "That he actually does teach useful things on occasion"

"Are you seriously blaming me for this?! Me! For not telling you?" Minato said aghast, feeling hot inside.

Especially when she had been the one to be so uncooperative.

'

"If you had bothered to spend any time whatsoever talking with me, either on mission or outside, I could have told you about it!" he said hotly.

"You were impossible to reach, You literally didn't give me a single opportunity to do that!" he said, wishing he could tear his hair in frustration.

'

Now he was here another thing occurred to him, an inconsistency that had been bothering him.

"And, Lukra, weren't you the one saying, 'I can't be thrown of this team, I have to make it here, or else'" he mimicked melodramatically.

"Did it ever bloody occur to you that provoking the man who took you on was the fastest way to accomplish that?!"

"And I meant not just a little, it was blatant in your face provoking!"

"Luckily Jiraiya seems intent on keeping you for some unfathomable reason, because you would totally have blown it by yourself!"

"What the hell were you playing at?" Minato asked acridly, Genuinely rather bewildered at the attitude.

'

Lukra seemed really put out by his words about Jiraiya, as if he had literally floored her with a punch.

She was as silent as a grave for a quite few minutes.

Minato thought she had blanked him out entirely and forgotten his question, untill she spoke up nearly ten minutes later out of the blue.

'

"There's no point in you asking, I've seen enough of Konoha to know that you wouldn't get it" she said in a quiet undertone.

"I think I know my own mind better than you do, Try me" Minato said flatly.

'

"You!" she said disdainfully in a heated voice.

A look of utter contempt and scorn upon her face.

"A spoilt, sheltered, cosmopolitan boy, living in a peaceful bubble his whole life?" she mocked.

"You couldn't begin to understand" she cut off curtly.

'

"I got training from Jiraiya since I was nine."

"I grew up in a two bedroom apartment falling to bits,"

"If you're looking for spoilt, you wont be finding it here" He flung back at her angrily.

"Were already stuck in the worst situation possible, what could you possibly have to lose? Go on, educate me" Minato challenged provocatively.

'

"Fine, have it your way" Lukra snapped. "I'll tell you just to shut you up!"

'

"I'm Mist, Minato, that means something to me Minato, and I don't mean blind devotion." She said in a harsh tone.

"In the Mist, It is survival of the fittest, the weak perish, and the strong thrive,"

"In the Mist, if you don't learn the skills you need to survive, you die"

'

"You don't get told off, you don't get demoted, you get killed by someone better than you, its that simple" she said starkly.

'

"In the Mist you learn to push yourself, to struggle and strive and suffer,

"To never allow yourself to become amongst the weak"

'

"Because that's what it takes to survive," she emphasised with a hard look.

"If you can't stand on your two feet Minato, there is no force in the universe that's going to save you." She said adamantly.

'

"Ai and Sabarou think 'I'm' unpleasant, there are people in the Mist who make me look like a cuddly toy by comparison"

"They have no idea!"

"They live in a world of sunshine and rainbows, There are horrors in the Mist that would eat them alive!"

"They have no concept of how inadequate they are."

'

"Genin in the Mist don't expect anyone to look after them."

"We train ourselves to look after ourselves in a fight, to push ourselves to our limits on our own, to handle dangerous situations ourselves"

"And there is no song or dance about it, our teachers expect this of us, its normal" she emphasised, "I'm not a special case"

'

"How are Ai and Sabarou going to deal with anything under pressure, if they have their hand held by Jiraiya constantly?" she questioned viciously.

"He's doing them a disservice by not pushing them, that complacent attitude could well get them killed under different circumstances!" She said harshly, her voice sharp.

'

"When I was under Tsunade she didn't teach me a damn thing, she just gave me a bunch of chakra exercises to practice." Lukra expounded further.

"I mastered those exercises to high level myself, because I wont accept anything less of myself,"

"Because I refuse to be complacent and self satisfied"

"Because I demand a high standard of myself" she said unyieldingly.

'

"When you survive that world, when that's the reality you deal with." She said intently, her eyes locking onto Minatos like lasers.

"And then you see a man blatantly not taking it seriously, trying to lull you into a false sense of security, wasting your time"

"Teaching things that could get you killed, you take issue with it, Minato"

Lukra promised him darkly.

'

Minato was uncannily reminded of Kushina yelling at him that he didn't understand.

He felt a bit numb, suddenly just about every meaningful event in his childhood seemed trivial by comparison.

He felt out of his depth, did he have anything to say to that really?

'

Maybe she had been right, could he really understand at all?

'

Finally Minato said slowly in answer to her speech,

"I can't imagine what it must have been like for you going through experiences like that," he said quietly.

"What it must have been like to have a childhood like that"

"And I'm sorry if you've had a hard time of it Lukra, I am" he said earnestly.

'

"But Jiraiya was right about one thing at least, you're assuming a lot in thinking that Konoha doesn't have anything to offer you"

"Konoha is strong too Lukra" Minato said, "We're the strongest of the five hidden villages"

'

"I have yet to see it, the average ten year old in the Mist is more capable of looking after themselves than Ai and Sabarou," she riposted derisively.

"What about me?" Minato countered, hoping to use himself as an example.

Minato would later identify this as a critical mistake.

'

Lukra paused to consider him for a moment, as if compiling all his virtues and flaws.

"Youre not bad" she said at last.

"You have a lot of natural talent, You're fast, and you think well on your feet" she said, almost complimentary.

"But you're also complacent, unfocused, don't take things seriously and lack intensity" she put down a second later.

"The mere fact that you go along docilely with four hours of cutting rice stalks says a lot about you I think" she said.

Nothing good apparently, Minato thought.

"I don't think you would have survived in the Mist" she concluded rather brutally.

'

So much for the mutual respect thing I thought we had going, Minato thought dully.

"I bet I would have" Minato said, stung by her pessimistic assessment of him.

"We'll have to induct you into the Mist academy to find out won't we" she said sarcastically.

'

"I beat you in that last match for real!" he snapped back at her, wanting to say something back in her face"

And It did shut her up.

she sported a very exasperated and almost confused look on her face.

If Minato had to guess,

'

Judging from everything they'd discussed

She was thinking along lines of, How could I have possibly lost to this soft, sheltered, clueless little farm boy?

'

"You did, I'm not going to deny that" she said finally, after a long long pause. Unable to deny it.

"But winning one match through a fluke, and a devious trick doesn't mean youre the better practitioner" she countered.

"Doesn't mean you would win again" she added menacingly.

"And If you think that trick is ever going to work again, you've got another thing coming" she said with a voice that chilled Minatos spine.

"You lost everything else" she added as a kindly afterthought.

'

Minato bristled in his restraints, Ai was right, she really was absolutely maddening Minato thought aggravated.

"I could beat you again if I really had to" Minato said boldly,

Blatantly lying, he had no clue whatsoever.

The things you said when ego took hold of you.

'

"You tell yourself whatever you need to" Lukra snorted, looking uninterested.

Lukra seemed much more relaxed now that she had once more gotten Minato back into his assigned category as a 'sheltered cosmopolitan boy.' And explaining his win as being some kind of fluke.

'

"I could" he asserted confidently.

"Sure you could" she said non committaly.

"You're not that tough Lukra" he said,

"I'm tougher than you" she retorted back fluidly.

'

"Sometimes it doesn't matter how tough you are, if...if.. the other person is smarter than you" Minato shot back, his tongue floundering a bit.

Lukra sighed not impressed, "Bigger people than you have tried to trash talk me Minato, I'm not into this kind of posturing myself" she said looking bored.

"Friendly tip, just keep your mouth shut in a fight, You might at least appear smart untill you up your mouth" Lukra patronised condescendingly.

'

"You are such a...!" Minato, bit his tongue trying to think of a swear word appropriate

"A...a..." and he came unstuck again.

Minato didn't like swearing so he had so little practice.

Maybe he should have argued with Ai more.

He gave up trying to argue in that fashion.

'

"Boy Lukra, you really have a skill of rubbing people up the wrong way Lukra, I give you that!" he said cholerically.

"You might have won the Taijutsu, and the first ninjutsu matches,"

"But when you were trying your very hardest, I beat you fair and square"

"Youre not on some 'superior plane' above us weak Konoha folk, the gap between us isn't anywhere near as big as youre making it out to be" Minato cut down with conviction.

'

"You want a rematch, you just let me know, we'll find out just how big that gap is" Lukra taunted in a low voice.

'

But Minato noticed she didn't seem as enthusiastic as her words implied.

It seemed that Lukra, appearances to the contrary was more wary of Minato as an opponent than she let on.

He doubted even Ai or Jiraiya could have provoked so much emotion out of her.

'

Minato realised how much his blood was boiling, he couldn't ever remember being that angry and shouting so much in his life.

Lukra certainly had the ability to get inside your head and draw you out of your comfort zone, he observed.

Aware of this Minato made a great effort to calm down and reorient himself.

'

"I certainly see now why you said that to Jiraiya now," Minato said dryly, "Its absolutely no mystery anymore"

"You may have that messed up system in the Mist, alright, but I got news for you! you're not in the Mist anymore! We do things differently here!" he shouted sarcastically.

'

"And it's apparent, they obviously don't cover critical thinking or common sense in the Mist in between all the brawling" he derided piercingly.

"If you had bothered to bloody think it through at all!" he began contemptuously doing a surprisingly good impression at imitating her biting remarks.

"You honestly would have given Jiraiya a chance before assuming he was weak and jumping down his throat"

"And even if he was, Ninjas are supposed to be subtle! To be smart! You had the subtlety and savviness of an explosive tag!" he said corrosively.

"And now I'm paying for your cavalier attitude!" Minato added irritably.

'

Lukra fell silent, her midnight blue eyed pensive as she thought his words through.

Finally she seemed to conclude that she did have the 'star' role in this situation.

"You're right, it is my fault," she admitted quietly, looking pained at her lapse.

'

"How far I have fallen! I never imagined I could go so low as to reach this point" she said looking disgusted at herself, and spitting on the floor.

"I underestimated Jiraiya completely, and that alone says my perception was unforgivably flawed," she said, a look of self loathing adorning her.

"And I should have asked for an explanation first, You're right Minato,"

'

Lukra seemed to decide it was long past time for self recrimination, and now the time for action.

"But are you going to stand there untill morning time complaining about that fact? Or are you going to do something?"

"I for one am going to focus on thinking of a ways to get out of this wretched stomach!" Lukra shot back assininely.

Minato honestly felt like shouting at her some more, but after a few seconds he decided to bite down a few more choice retorts.

'

Lukra had a point.

Whatever issues they had, it didn't really matter now.

it wasn't going to get them out of here.

'

For a while by unspoken consent they concentrated on struggling like crazy.

But although they could move around in spongy material, they couldn't detach themselves from it.

Both of them felt Nauseous and dispirited but they kept at it vigorously.

After nearly forty minutes of fruitless struggling Lukra called a stop.

'

"Okay calm down" Lukra suggested at last breathing heavily,

"We need to save our energy here, not waste it, try to relax"

"Yes, relax inside a fucking intestine, that's a good idea!" Minato said caustically.

"I'm dead serious about it Minato" Lukra snapped in a no nonsense tone, "Be pragmatic, Calm down and keep your cool."

"All right" Minato said, resenting being ordered around.

'

He did so anyway because he was as so tired from struggling that he was about to do it naturally

He took some deep breaths, finding against odds that he did feel a little better.

'

"Lukra, are you making any progress getting out over there?" he called over.

"None, you?"

"Nope, I can barely move at all"

Minato had really been pissed off by their exchange earlier.

But now that his ire at had cooled down he was actually glad Lukra was there.

If he had been by himself it would have been even creepier and disturbing being here.

What on earth was he going to say to Ai and Sabarou?

'

"Can you reach any gear you had on your clothes? Kunai? Shruiken?" she asked hopefully.

"No, my arm is deadlocked against my body, can you?"

"No, We need a different approach," she concluded pursing her lips.

Her forehead creased as she pondered intently over options. At last she suggested.

'

"Minato, can you do that chakra ball technique you have? It doesn't need any seals right?"

"I could, but it wouldn't do any good"

"Why not?"

"My arm is at the wrong angle and too far from the wall, I can't twist it back far enough to make contact" Minato explained.

"It would just spin endlessly into the empty air,"

'

"Damn" Lukra cursed,

"Most techniques need hands or seals, that was our best chance" she said morosely.

"What about you, I've watched you before, you can make one handed seals right, can you do that with three fingers?" Minato querried.

"I can just about use my Kekkai genkai with only three fingers" she replied.

"Well there's enough 'liquid' here," Minato said with a shudder, feeling slime on his cheek.

"Can't you make some ice weapons to cut us out?" Minato asked.

'

"I've been trying, whatever acid or enzyme is in the moisture here, its stopping it coalescing into ice" Lukra expiated calmly.

"Great" Minato said back sarcastically.

Stomach sinking again at another blocked off route.

'

"If you have any bright suggestions other than complaining that is, I'm more than open to them" Lukra said expectantly, her dark blue eyes hard.

"I'm sorry, okay Lukra, lets not fight, I don't feel like loitering around in here for a couple hours either" Minato said evenly.

They both lapsed into silence trying to think of ideas.

'

"If only there was some liquid here free of amino acids" Lukra groused, I could do something in no time"

"There is" Minato realised suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" she asked sharply in disbelief.

"look, watch," Minato said, he spat into the floor, "My sputum is free of the stomach acid"

'

"Not bad at all, lets give it a try" Lukra said eyes widening with understanding, she enthusiastically, twisted her fingers as best she could.

Minato spat one more time, this time as it left his mouth it froze into a globule of ice.

Lukra nodded appreciatively.

'

"Its a good start, Minato, but it's still not good enough, even if I make an ice shard, it will just shatter on contact with the enzyme juices" she guessed shrewdly.

Minato paused for a second racking his brains for an answer.

'

"But what if you could pick up something that wouldn't?" Minato said, he gestured his head over to his Kunai that had fallen a few feet away.

"It's too far away, unless youre a precision spitter that is"

"Lukra, this is important, can you make your ice move in any direction? Regardless of gravity?" Minato asked intently.

'

"You should know better than anyone after seeing my mirrors, and being suspended yourself" she answered casually.

"Excellent! Than its easy, Just make a small fishing hook, then fly it over there to pull the Kunai closer then" Minato directed.

'

"Oh, not bad, you're good at this," Lukra said looking a little impressed at his novel thinking.

"I had no idea you were so experienced at escaping from toads stomachs" Lukra joked, a smirk coming to her lips.

"It's a hobby I have," Minato laughed back, feeling a considerable lightening in his chest.

It was surprising how much the humour brightened up the place.

He also rather grudgingly, had started to enjoy Lukras company a bit.

'

"You up for a try?" he invited, more warmly than he had a few minutes back.

"Absolutely, wait a second"

Lukra dribbled making globules of spit, then she slowly formed them unto a small curved hook of ice that suspended itself in mid-air.

"Okay, just reel the Kunai in Lukra" Minato advised, unable to hide his excitement.

'

They both watched in suspense while the hook travelled eerily in mid-air to the Kunai's circular pommel, threading agilely through the hole,

In a trice Lukra whisked it over.

"Well done! what next?" Minato asked.

"One of us needs an arm free, if we could do that we have a good chance," Lukra answered.

"It should be me, more of my arm is available, and I have the Rasengan" Minato proposed logically.

'

"Oh, so that's what its called" Lukra remarked lightly, quirking an eyebrow.

"You wanted to know?"

"When you have one driven into your back you get curious"

"Oh, sorry about that," Minato said, instantly feeling bad.

'

"Its okay, it was a full match, not just a spar," Lukra hastily assured him.

"It's unfair to expect you to hold back in such circumstances. I don't hold a grudge, I was just curious, just forget about it" Lukra offered reasonably.

"Yeah, thanks, I don't have a grudge against you either you know, for those matches" Minato assured her.

'

"Thanks, I've never seen a jutsu like that before, Is the Rasengan normal around here" Lukra asked.

"No, I invented it actually" Minato said.

'

"You?" she asked in surprise, a mixture of disbelief and wonder on her face.

"Yes me, believe it or not" Minato said drily.

Why was everyone always so sceptical? He thought irritably.

'

"I find it hard to believe someone so young could invent that" lukra said in mild amazement.

"I'll gladly tell you all about it, lets get out of here first" Minato suggested.

Lukra nodded, her game face coming back on.

'

"You're right, I need a better grip, I'm going to try and coalace more spit around the handle to make a better hold" she said.

After a few minutes of intense dribbling and concentration Lukra accomplished it. A very firm icy handle sculpted.

Minato would have applauded if able to.

'

"Awesome Lukra! Now see if you can free my right arm from this ganglia" he urged.

Lukra mentally commanded the ice controlled Kunai over to Minato and attempted to free his arm.

'

The blade started sawing with a squelching noise.

This part proved easier said than done, the organic substance was tough, flexible and sticky.

It was extremely hard to cut into.

And there was a lot of it, only a few inches of Minatos forearm and hand were visible above the spongy trap.

'

And it didn't help that there was no real weight behind the kunai.

"Ouch! That was my forearm there" Minato admonished.

"I'm sorry, Its a lot harder than it looks" Lukra said in consternation.

'

She continued the hacking process but more carefully.

Slowly it started making grooves in the fleshy substance surrounding Minato's arm.

Prying it gradually away.

At first it appeared that no progress was being made, but Minato kept up a steady stream of encouragement, seeing incremental progress.

'

A slow half hour of sawing passed.

"Lukra! I can feel a change! I can wiggle my arm a bit now!" Minato informed her excitedly.

"Great, we've got this then!" she said enthusiastically redoubling her efforts.

An hour later Minato announced, "Nearly there!"

Finally Minatos arm was freed to the point where he could stretch it out and down.

"Yes!" cried Minato.

'

In a flash he created a Rasengan and blasted a hole to the wall hugging his upper leg , blowing a hole in it.

Taking care not to hit his leg.

The Rasengan was so powerful it created a huge circular indent, The space now created helped free his right arms motion more.

This time he twisted upwards freeing his upper shoulder and body.

Capable now of full lateral motion it was a piece if cake.

'

Minato blew a hole freeing his other arm.

Two more rasengans later had him completely free.

Stepping out gingerly he relished the feeling of not being eaten by a wall.

'

He stretched his body excitedly, savouring the feeling of moving unconstricted.

Had anything ever felt so good?

'

"Minato, so sorry to interrupt your jubilation but would mind?" Lukra asked pointedly.

"Oh, of course Lukra, no problem" Minato said sheepishly.

It never even occurred to Minato to leave her there.

He used controlled blasts to cut away the Ganglia imprisoning Lukra.

Taking care not to get too close to her body.

'

"Oh thank Kami!" Lukra said in relief, finally lurching away from the wall as if afraid it would embrace her again.

"We're free! We rock Lukra!" Minato crowed holding his hand for a high five.

"We rock!" Lukra agreed animatedly slapping it, "lets get out of this stinking intestine!"

'

Minato unceremoniously blasted a hole through the wall allowing them to feel the delicious chill of the night air.

"Kami, that air tastes so good" Minato said appreciatively, he could almost dine on air alone right now.

The smell had been that bad.

Lukra herself had closed her eyes to enjoy the chill of the nights wind.

'

They both hastily put some distance between them and the huge summoned stomach.

"I smell absolutely vile and repulsive, I did not know this stench existed" Minato complained, dry retching involuntarily when he sniffed too closely.

"This is the fourth worst experience of my life" Lukra agreed morbidly looking equally revolted at her state.

She watched morosely as some pungent residue still dripped from her hand.

'

"What were the first three?" Minato asked curiously.

He got a dead stare in return.

"Its okay, okay, I don't need to know, I'm not prying" he reassured her, not really caring honestly speaking.

"The important thing is were out, lets focus on that!" he said in triumph.

'

Lukra enjoying the same natural high he had from their escape seemed to agree with him.

"You want to get that slime off Minato? I could use a water jutsu to wash off the worst" lukra offered kindly.

"Sounds like a dream"

'

Lukra carefully blasted off the worst of it before Minato returned the favour with a simple water ninjutsu.

Both of them preferred the slime off to the mild discomfort induced from the cold water.

"I'm heading off home Minato, where I hope to erase as much of that toads stomach from my mind as I am able" Lukra said miserably.

'

"Before you go, please promise not to antagonize Jiraiya again, please Lukra" Minato practically begged.

"You don't have to ask Minato, I don't fancy that ever again in my life" Lukra said earnestly with a shudder.

"I'll toe the line, I'm not retarded" Lukra assured him fervently.

"Thanks Lukra, glad to know were on the same page" he said relieved.

'

"What should we say to the others tomorrow" Minato asked.

"Nothing!" Lukra said in a trice, darkly

"We bury this incident under 'classified' and never speak of it again!" She espoused potently.

"Yeah, now you mention it I don't really feel like talking about it either," Minato agreed, cringing at the thought of Ai's reaction.

He really would never hear the end of it.

"Shall we just say, we did a joint ninjutsu exercise, and ran late?" Minato offered

"Couldn't put it better myself" she said flatly.

'

Minato suddenly had the glimmer of an idea.

"I have a better idea Lukra, instead of just heading home, why don't we go to the Sauna near here, its open untill early morning" he prompted with enthusiasm.

"A Sauna, why?" she asked.

"They offer a change of clothes there, and more importantly I want to get every molecule of toad stomach enzyme off my body," Minato said passionately.

"I don't know" Lukra said looking uncertain.

"They have separate bathing" Minato clarified, he honestly wasn't putting on any kind of moves here.

In case that was what she was worrying about.

"I'm not worried about that" Lukra said before lapsing into silence.

'

Minato wasn't quite sure what the problem was but decided to let her be, he felt like he owed her that much.

It was funny but he realised that he already knew everything he needed to know about Lukra.

That she was tough, resourceful, true and decent.

And that she would be there for you if you really needed it.

Everything else honestly didn't matter Minato realised.

'

'

"You can do what you like Lukra," he said kindly, "No judgements"

"But me, myself and I are headed off to the sauna and an enzyme free body, you are welcome to come along if you want" Minato said nonchalantly , stumbling off in that direction, not looking to see her reaction.

He honestly just wanted the damn stuff off at this point.

Just as he'd thought he'd seen the last of her for the night, he heard footsteps behind him.

'

"Okay, I'll come with you" Lukra relented finally, "I want that damned slime off as well, that's too much of gem to pass up"

"Glad to hear it" Minato said spiritedly, delighted at her choice.

"It's actually a good idea, hot water relaxes the body" Lukra commentated.

"Well we've certainly earned a good relaxing soak I think"

"I think so too" she agreed firmly.

'

They walked in the dark of midnight into the glimmering city lights of Konoha.

Lukra again lapsed into silence but Minato didn't mind at all.

It was a companionable silence. And Minato found to his surprise that he was actually really enjoying Lukras company.

Lukra seemed to feel the same way judging by the small quirk on her lips.

'

They ambled in a relaxed fashion into the Konoha, blatantly ignoring the open stares from people around at their unkempt, soaked attire.

"You go to Saunas often then?" Lukra asked curiously.

"Yeah, They're relaxing" he said.

"Sometimes Jiraiya would bring me along" he added, thinking of his sensei's rather questionable 'Researching sessions'.

"Oh, you always go together?"

"Well not always, often Jiraiya would be outside the Sauna and I would be meeting him after the academy" Minato explained casually.

Not really thinking about what he was saying.

'

"Why would he be waiting outside of a sauna?" Lukra asked in confusion, sapphire eyes quizzical.

"Wouldn't you just go and meet him inside?"

"Oh, well sometimes we would be... I mean we would...erm ...do..." Minato stammered realising the implications of where this innocent conversation had lead.

His face turned a rather interesting red colour.

Minato suddenly realised how much he really didn't want to give an in depth explanation of Jiraiya's amorous side to anyone female.

Especially his own embarrassing involvement in it.

'

"I mean I'm not sure...you..." Minato said awkwardly, desperately wishing the ground would open up and swallow him.

Minato you great stupid twat, why did you suggest the sauna of all places! He mentally rebuked himself.

'

"I mean Jiraiya considers himself a kind of...researcher...of sorts" he started awkwardly.

"It's okay Minato, That's enough information" Lukra interrupted swiftly, sensing Minatos discomfort.

'I've honestly had all of that man that I can stand for one day!" Lukra said fervently.

"And judging from your look Im honestly better of not knowing!" she said compactly, cupping her hands over her ears.

"lets just go to the damn Sauna, and do our best erase the effects of our evenings sojourn in that fucking stomach" she suggested stoutly.

'

"Sounds absolutely wonderful Lukra, Couldn't agree more" Minato agreed gratefully, really relieved at the lifeline she'd thrown him.

"Great Minato, lead on" she said theatrically, gesturing with a hand.

"Sure thing, This way Lukra"

"Good, let's go quickly, were starting to draw attention" she said indicating the increasing number of people stopping to chatter about their dishevelled look.

'

"Yeah," he agreed reflexively.

"Oh, and Lukra?"

"Yes Minato?" he felt he had to say it before the moment faded.

"Thanks for back there in the Stomach, you really were brilliant" Minato said adamantly.

"You're welcome Minato, you were too" Lukra said back honestly.

"I'll speak to Ai," he offered, "I know she's been an absolute cow and has been causing trouble for the sake of it, I'll get her to stop" he promised.

At least I'll try, he thought, unsure of how he exactly was going to accomplish such a feat.

"That sounds wonderful" Lukra said gratefully.

"I'll try be more friendly to everyone, I know I can't have been pleasant to be around" she said ruefully.

"Can't hurt to try" Minato said amiably.

'

They passed round the corner, finally seeing the building, with thick wafts of steam emanating from behind it.

"On a brighter note, you can buy some Epson salt to add to the water, for a little extra," Minato expounded, his inner tour guide leaping out.

"It does wonders for soothing strained muscle tissue" Minato suggested brightly.

"I know I'm going for it myself"

"Sounds absolutely perfect" Lukra said, an unmistakable sigh of longing emitting from her at the words.

"Maybe this place isn't so bad after all" she muttered.

'

"Give it a chance Lukra" Minato said softly, not sure if he meant the Sauna, Konoha, Team Jiraiya, or all three at once.

"I will" she said candidly, an intent look on her sapphire blue eyes.

'

And then they both walked into the sauna.

'

'

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The End

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Author Notes:

'

'

This is my first story and it is a completed one-shot, there wont be new chapters.

'

However I do intend to follow up with several sequels set in the future, they will be about Minato and Lukra's involvement in the second shinobi war, and how they develop as teammates.

I also plan to give a backstory as to how Lukra ended up in Konoha.

So in the overall chronology of my series this story is close to the start.

'

'

'

I always found it a shame we saw so little of the Ice wielders in the Naruto series. Given Haku's impact on Naruto's development I was intrigued at the idea of Minato meeting someone from the same clan.

'

Some people might feel Lukra is a little too powerful, so I thought I would clarify my choice here.

'

Lukra is not some overly powered badass who is 'strong' for no reason, she is a prodigy but has undergone extensive training and a very tumultuous and realistic series of events to gain that skill.

Bear in mind Minato is just starting out here, one lost spar doesn't indicate anything of his actual potential here or in future.

'

And I find it believable he might lose to someone who has a similar base ability but with more actual experience.

Minato as a Genin had no realistic competition among his peers, head and shoulders above the rest.

Having such a level increase in opponent alone would be quite a shock, let alone a few surprises they might have stored away.

'

There are very specific reasons why Minato lost the Taijutsu matches but defeated lukra in the final all out Ninjutsu match.

'

'

If you're wondering why Lukra's abilities are significantly more developed than Haku's its because she is from an era where the Hyoten clan was in its prime.

As opposed to being a single user developing things through trial and error.

She has the advantage of a well developed and refined knowledge base and guidance from clan members, and her techniques reflect this.

'

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Please leave a Review!

'

Feedback and criticism are most welcome, but please no flames.

If you want to say something you can do it civilly or not at all.

And Thanks for reading!

See you all soon!


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